Often times, tough meats must be “softened” or tenderized to facilitate the preparation, cooking and subsequent consumption of same. Tenderizing meat essentially entails utilizing mechanical, chemical or marinating processes to break down the meat's muscle fibers and connective tissue, and/or to denature or “unwind” the long protein strands thereof, thereby yielding a more malleable and tender meat.
In particular, a popular method of mechanically tenderizing meat involves striking or pounding the meat via a heavy tenderizing mallet having a series of pointed protrusions extending therefrom for forcefully piercing the meat, thereby breaking down the meat's muscle fiber with each strike of the mallet thereto. Similar mechanical utensils are available in the form of metal or wooden bats, flat-faced mallets, or other suitable implements. Additionally, those without such mallets, or as alternative thereto, may often utilize a large metal pan to strike the meat, thereby effectuating a wider, more evenly distributed tenderizing impact.
Other mechanical tenderizing devices incorporate hinged upper and lower metal plates, each such plate having a series of tenderizing teeth protruding therefrom. Such devices function specifically as meat tenderizing presses, wherein the repeated, hinged movement or lowering of the upper plate toward the lower plate imparts a force onto the meat seated thereon, and thus, pierces the meat via the tenderizing teeth.
Although such mechanical methods and devices are effective in tenderizing the meat, the structural and functional disadvantages associated with such devices renders implementation of same problematic and messy, and presents potential health hazards.
More specifically, the exposed, unenclosed nature of such mechanical meat tenderizing devices, and the associated forceful striking or pounding of the meat by same, often results in the leakage and/or splattering of raw meat juices and/or particulate onto the food preparatory surface, the user, and/or surrounding food items. Such juices or particles are typically laden with harmful bacteria or other microorganisms that have a tendency to proliferate and, once introduced into the human digestive system, cause a number of health related problems symptomatic of food poisoning, such as loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Although such splatters and spills may be cleaned, it is often difficult to completely sanitize and eliminate all bacteria from the contaminated surfaces and/or food items.
Moreover, although some may place the meat between pieces of paper or plastic wrap in an attempt “capture” splatter of meat juices or particles during the tenderizing process, such a method often leads to the paper or plastic wrap sticking to the mallet or the meat, tearing as a result of the pointed protrusions of the mallet piercing therethrough, and/or bunching of the wrap, thereby requiring replacement or repositioning of same. In addition thereto, because of the relatively porous or breathable nature of paper and plastic wraps, utilization of such a method does not guard against bacterial proliferation.
Additionally, if the meat is placed upon a porous surface, such as a wooden cutting board, during the tenderizing process, washing the surface may reduce the number of harmful bacteria thereon, but will not entirely eliminate all the bacteria. As such, subsequent use of the porous surface for handling or preparing other food items will result in the contamination of such food items with the vestigial bacteria, thereby presenting the potential health hazards described above.
Another method of tenderizing and flavoring meat involves the application of an acid-based liquid marinade to the meat for purposes of denaturing or “unwinding” the long protein strands thereof. Such marinades are often applied to the meat within a sealable plastic bag, wherein the marinated meat is permitted to “sit” for a period to facilitate the tenderizing and flavoring process. However, many such marinades are ineffective in penetrating and infusing the meat and are, therefore, ineffective in denaturing the proteins. As such, those utilizing a marinade to tenderize raw meat are often forced to inject the marinade into the meat to facilitate the marinade-tenderizing process from therewithin.
Of course, attempting to utilize conventional mechanical tenderizing devices in conjunction with a liquid marinade to forcefully infuse the marinade into the meat, and therefore tenderize and flavor same, would inherently result in many of the above-referenced deficiencies; to wit, excessive splatter of the marinade, raw meat juices and meat particulate; thereby, presenting the above-referenced health risks.
Therefore, it is readily apparent that there is a need for an apparatus and method for selectively or contemporaneously tenderizing and marinating meats or other desired food items without the proliferation of harmful bacteria resulting from the leakage and/or splatter of raw meat juices and particulate, as is commonly experienced with the utilization and implementation of conventional meat tenderizing devices and methods.